Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott was a pretty big target for multiple ACC schools looking to fill their coaching vacancies.
It looked like he might end up as the head coach of the Duke Blue Devils as he interviewed for that job in December and appeared to be the favorite. However, the Virginia Cavaliers also found themselves looking for a coach after Bronco Mendenhall made a surprising announcement last week. The school has scrambled to figure out who it could hire to replace him and they zeroed in on Elliott.
Elliott was said to be leaning towards taking the Virginia job but wanted some time to make a decision, prompting some to wonder if he might back out and wait for a better opportunity. However, on Friday, it became official that Elliott would leave Clemson after ten seasons to become the new head coach at Virginia.
Elliott started out as an RB coach at Clemson in 2011 but head coach Dabo Swinney promoted him to co-offensive coordinator in 2014 and he became the primary play-caller for two national championship teams. Clemson finished first or second in the ACC in total offense in five of the seven years he called plays. His offenses have also finished in the national top 15 twice, top 10 once, and top five twice.
Elliott reportedly turned down a similar offer to be the head coach at Tennessee last year. For the Virginia job, he seemingly beat out Penn State co-DC Anthony Poindexter, who said on Wednesday that he was no longer pursuing the job.
With the announcement that Elliott has been hired as the new head coach at Virginia, there was quite the reaction on social media amongst the college football world. A lot of people focused on how Clemson has now lost both coordinators and the AD in recent weeks, suggesting this is a troubling time for Dabo Swinney.
The ACC landscape shifted a lot in recent weeks and we’ll see how these moves play out for Virginia, Clemson, Duke, and the rest of the conference.
[Virginia]
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.